A Dreadful Train Crash

P r u e: Weren't you in that train crash on Friday, Fred?

Fred: Oh Prue, it's like a dreadful dream.

P r u e: A tractor — isn t that right? — crossing a bridge with a trailer of fresh fruit crashed through the brick wall in front of the train?

Fred: Yes. The train driver's a friend of my brother's. I was travelling up front with him. I was thrown through the windscreen on to the grass, but he was trapped under a huge great crate. I could hear him groaning.

Prue: Fred! How grim!

F r e d: I was pretty frightened, Prue. I can promise you! I crawled through the broken crates and tried to drag him free. His throat was crushed. He couldn't breathe properly, but he menaged a grin.

Prue: How incredibly brave!

Exercise VI.Read the rhymes and learn them.

1. One, one, one

Little dog, run,

Two, two, two

Cats, see you,

Three, three, three

Birds on a tree,

Four, four, four

Rats on the floor. .

2. The men in the wilderness asked of me

How many strawberries grew in the sea.

I answered him as I thought good,

As many as red herrings grew in the wood.

3. Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee

Resolved to have a battle,

For Tweedle-Dum said Tweedle-Dee

Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew by a monstrous crow,

As big as a tar barrel,

Which frightened both the heroes so

They quite forgot their quarrel.

4. There was an old woman,

And she sold puddings and pies,

She went to the mill,

And the dust flew in her eyes,

Hot pies and cold pies to sell!

Wherever she goes,

You can follow her by the smell.

5. Little Lady Lilly lost her lovely locket

Lazy little Lucy found the lovely locket

Lovely little locket lay in Lucy's pocket

Lazy little Lucy lost the lovely locket.

6. A right-handed fellow named Wright

In writing "write" always wrote "right"

Where he meant to write right,

If he'd written "write" right,

Wright would not have wrought rot writing "rite".

7. The little black dog ran round the house

And set the bull a-roaring,

And drove the monkey in the boat,

Who set the oars a-rowing,

And scared the cock upon the rock,

Who cracked his throat with crowing.

Exercise VII.Transcribe the proverbs and learn them.

1. Little friends may prove great fiends.

2. There is neither rhyme nor reason in it.

3. Who won't be ruled by the rudder must be ruled by the rock.

4. When angry, count a hundred.

5. Truth is stranger than fiction.

6. Live and learn.

7. Live and let live.

8. Let sleeping dogs lie.

9. Let well alone.

10. Love me, love my dog.

UNIT 24. [Ɵ] - [ð]

Exercise I. Read the following words paying special attention to correct pronunciation.

3. [Ɵ] - [ð]

bath — bathe earthy — worthy

breath — breathe Martha — mother

author — other Bertha — further

Arthur — rather

Exercise II.Read the following sense-groups, mind the rhythm and intonation.

(a) that; than that; rather than that; anything rather than that; I'll do anything rather than that.

(b) both, thanks to you both, a thousand thanks to you both.

Exercise III.Transcribe and intone the following sentences. Practise reading them in pairs.

[Ɵ] (a) 1. The third Thursday of this month is the sixteenth.

2. Arthur Smith, a thick-set, healthy athlete sees three thieves throw a thing round Thea's throat and threaten to throttle her.

3. He throws one thug to earth with a thud that shakes his teeth.

4. Both the other thieves run off with a filthy oath.

5. Thea thanks Arthur for'thrashing the three thugs.

[ð] (b) 1. These bathers are breathing through their mouths.

2. Smooth breathing is rather soothing.

3. There are three brothers. These are their father and mother. This is their other brother.

4. I don't wish them other than they are.

[Ɵ] — [ð] (c) 1. I'll do anything rather than that.

2. They are always bothering Father and Mother to do things for them.

3. That means nothing other than the usual thing.

4. The Smiths keep themselves to themselves.

5. Father has a thousand and one things to ask you, Martha.

Exercise IV. Read the tongue-twisters and learn them.

1. A thatcher of Thatchwood went to Thatchet a-thatching. Did a thatcher of Thatchwood go to Thatchet a-thatching? If a thatcher of Thatchwood went to Thatchet a-thatching, Where's the thatching the thatcher of Thatchwood has thatched?

2. Theo thrust a thumb through two or three thick straw thatches.

Exercise V.Read the dialogues, mark the stresses and tunes. Learn them. Act out the dialogues.